Dangerous beauty tips from TikTok: tooth glue, skin burn and face lube
Dangerous beauty tips from TikTok that have harmed many.
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.Perfect makeup in a minute, cheap hair care or a Hollywood smile with the help of natural ingredients. TikTok is a mine of tricks that can show you in a cool way how to save time and money or inspire you to make changes.
Unfortunately, in this mine you will also find a video in which someone tells you how to unknowingly burn your skin, destroy your enamel or... rip out your scalp. While dancing in the process, of course.
.With the experts, I took a look at some dangerous beauty trends from TikTok. We'll shock you, but we'll also entertain you.
We're going to make you laugh.
From this article you will learn:
- What are the dangerous beauty tips on TikTok. .
- Why they can harm you. .
- What are the safe alternatives.
- What are the safe alternatives?
- BONUS: A really stupid trend .
See also:
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- 10 signs that you should be supplementing with it
- This one ingredient in cream doesn't work. Check
Dangerous trends from TikTok
.Maybe it's about speed of effect, or maybe it's about saving money. Or maybe it's about... a lack of sense. You won't believe what some TikTokers are posting and you won't believe how many people are following this advice.
Microneedling and acids
.- What is it? Microneedling and acid application to the face.
- What is it?
- What does it promise? Rejuvenating and refreshing the complexion, evening out imperfections.
- What does it promise?
- How can it harm? Dermal inflammation, burns, hyperpigmentation, acne aggravation. .
Dermal microneedling ( microneedling) involves the deliberate creation of micro-injuries in the skin using a device equipped with a dozen needles of different lengths. This stimulates the skin's self-repair process, enhances the production of collagen and elastin and increases the absorption of active ingredients e.g. from serumsand.
.For the procedure to be safe, it must be done by a trained person who knows at what angle to hold the tool, how to prick the skin and, above all, does it under hygienic conditions..
.
Katarzyna SrebrCosmetologist
TikToker Olivia Salmen has more than 145,000 followers. She boasts about the impressive results of such home treatments facial care at home. The video instructions look like it's a piece of cake. Yet it's often ... burnt toast.
.According to aesthetic medicine experts, Ms Salmen's practices are dangerous - you can literally burn your skin's protective barrier and develop irritation. The easy availability of cosmetic preparations, e.g. acids, also encourages you to unknowingly harm yourself.
Micropuncturing the skin and then applying an acid to the surface of the skin makes sense and this is constantly practised in cosmetic surgeries, but these are not treatments dedicated to everyone and I do not recommend under any circumstances to perform them yourself at home..
.
Katarzyna SrebrCosmetologist
I prefer the video where TikToker Olivia dresses up as a monkey or shows off her cat.
.Safe alternative:
Benefit from professional treatments from a dermatologist or cosmetologist. You are assured of the quality of the equipment, the materials used, hygiene and the experience of the person carrying out the microneedling.
Provide you with a safe alternative.
Tooth whitening with an eraser
.- What does it involve? Using the Magic Eraser to whiten teeth.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Removing tartar, smoothing the surface and whitening teeth.
- What does it promise?
- How can it harm? Destruction of enamel, risk of cavities and tooth sensitivity. .
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a sponge coated with melanin foam, which is used to clean the toughest stains, for example on door frames or in the sink. Great stuff - magic sponges have helped me get my bathroom tidy in the past. Highly recommended.
Unfortunately, some people decided to do a general cleaning in the mouth and cleaned their teeth with these sponges. TikToker @theheatherdunn bragged about her Hollywood smile and extolled the effectiveness of the Magic Eraser, undermining the warnings of dentists.
She also praised the effectiveness of the Magic Eraser.
She instructed people to break off and wet a piece of eraser and then scrub their teeth until the stains and yellowing disappear. Dunn claims this is her secret to white and shiny teeth. The original video has been removed, but the hashtag #magiceraserteeth has amassed 6.1 million views on TikToku.
Benjamin Winters, an American orthodontist, warned users of the danger: "Melamine foam is as hard as glass and acts like sandpaper. Your teeth are white because you have scrubbed all the enamel out of them".
TikTok divided: some left Magic Eraser to clean the sink, others wrote: I prefer not to have enamel but to have white teeth.
My teeth ached from reading.
.Safe alternative:
.Make sure you brush your teeth (I'm not kidding, it's essential). Buy whitening toothpaste or special trays. Use them regularly. Read up on what teeth-staining products to avoid. If you are not satisfied, go to a dentist who can safely whiten your teeth, e.g. by laser.
.Lubricant under make-up
.- What does it involve? Applying lube as a base under make-up.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Hydration and smoothing of the skin, better makeup hold.
- How can it harm? Skin irritation, clogging of pores, redness. .
If Durex brand representatives have issued an official statement asking you not to apply their lube to your face, then know that something is going on.
And it is.
And it is happening. Hectolitres of Durex lube have been poured on the wrong place. Tiktoker Sean Anthony recommends using lube as a base for foundation. He claims that it makes the face smoother and makes make-up look perfect.
Lubricants are regulated differently in terms of composition than cosmeticsands. Lubricants contain spermicides, fragrances and essential oils that can cause skin redness and irritation, as well as stimulate the formation of acne lesions .
.But how not to believe Sean, who glows on TikTok with the perfect glow? A cosmetologist explains:
Lubricants contain silicones or ingredients that smooth the surface of the skin, which may ostensibly make the skin look nice from the outside, but this is only a surface effect. More of a detriment than a benefit..
.
Katarzyna SrebrCosmetologist
Let every product know its purpose.
Safe alternative:
.Find cosmetics tailored to your skin and skin problems with the help of a cosmetologist. Dry skin or caking make-up can disappear if you choose the right products.
Beer tan
.- What does it involve? Pouring beer on the skin before tanning.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? An even, bronze tan.
- What can it do?
- How can it do harm? Dermal burns, accelerated skin ageing, skin cancer. .
The 2023 holiday season is dominated by the Beer Tanning Trend. Before sunbathing, you apply beer to your skin to help give your skin an even, bronzed tan. TickTockers scientists say that, after all, beer is made from hops, which supposedly helps activate melanin. And this makes the skin darker. Well on the face of it.
So much wasted beer - I read a comment from an embittered TikTok user. There's no need to cry over spilt beer, because there's something worse. Perfect tan trick can damage your skin and even lead to skin cancerand.
Such practices expose the skin to irritation and burning. Sunburn increases the risk of melanoma..
.
Joanna Kowalska-BrockaDermatologist
"Other distant consequences include accelerated skin ageing and an unsightly appearance. Sunburned, sun-damaged skin will age more quickly and look damaged," adds the dermatologist.
The sunburned skin will age more quickly and look damaged," adds the dermatologist.
Well, some users have found out how you can become a living flypaper. And wasps. And other insects.
Safe alternative:
.First of all, protect your skin from harmful radiation - use sunscreen. The most important thing is to keep your skin healthy. And if you dream of having skin like J.Lo, buy good self-tanner or consider spray tanning.
Home dermaplaning
.- What does it involve? Removing keratinised skin and facial hair using a surgical scalpel.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Professional dermaplaning can help reduce the appearance of acne scarring skin imperfections, revealing new, undamaged skin.
- How can it cause harm? Home treatment can cause redness, irritation, sores, bacterial multiplication.
Home conditions, scalpel and facial. This can't end well - a special episode of Far from the Stretcher is being prepared.
Dermaplaning is a technique for removing keratinised skin and hair at a specific angle using a scalpel. If performed unprofessionally, it can result in stubble, skin damage, superinfection and infection..
.
Katarzyna SrebrCosmetologist
You may have had a scalpel in your hand - it really is a sharp tool. At home, there is no way you can do this procedure correctly, precisely and safely in front of a mirror. The skin has to be properly tightened and the movement sure, at the right angle
TikTokers wave the scalpel confidently like Artur Zmijewski in his best years on On Good News and Bad News. They boast of radiant skin. Don't trust what you see. Some users accuse the makers of these videos of fraud (e.g. a 'protected' scalpel) and faking effects with editing software.
Dermaplaning also removes hair at the root. It's natural that you'll feel smooth and see glow at first, but the hairs start to grow back quickly, sting and get darker. You don't want that.
Safe alternative:
.Use the services of a professional salon. The person performing the procedure will assess the condition of your skin, ensure the sterility of the tool and proper manoeuvring of the scalpel.
Scalp Popping
.- What does it involve? Powerful tugging of the hair to pull the scalp away from the skull.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Reducing tension, improving circulation. .
- How can it harm? Rupture of the inside of the skin, bleeding, headaches. .
If you suffer from misophonia (hypersensitivity to sound), do not watch a video with scalp popping sound. This supposedly relaxing treatment involves pulling the hair so hard that it pulls away from the skull, creating a 'popping' sound.
The crackling sound that occurs during scalp popping is the sound of the tendon cap. It covers the cranial vault and is tightly fused to the scalp..
.
Michal Bojemskiphysiotherapist
I remember when a friend of mine used to shoot with his fingers in primary school, but shooting with a scalp is a higher level. Stupidity, of course. While cracking knuckles is not dangerous to your health, scalp popping can tear the inside of the scalp and cause profuse bleeding.
Powerful hair pulling can also damage hair follicles and cause inflammation..
.
Katarzyna SrebrCosmetologist
If you know what blood-filled cysts on the head look like, that should be enough for you to stay away from scalp popping. And if you don't know, feel free to Google graphics.
Sunscreen contouring
.- What does it consist of? Partial application of sunscreen to contour the face with sunscreen.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Natural facial contouring. .
- How can it harm? Exposure of the skin to harmful UV rays, skin aging, destruction of collagen in the skin, spots.
The TickTock trend encouraged applying UV filter cream to the parts of your face where you normally apply highlighter, leaving the rest of your skin exposed. And then it's time for a sun bath, during which the sun will naturally contour your face. Oh and that saving on cream!
Sounds good - unfortunately, exposing your face to the sun's harmful rays without protection is harmful. Instead of natural contouring, you can get a sunburn.You also risk premature skin ageing and sun spotsand.
Some of the comments under the video speak for themselves: I look like an idiot. How do I compensate for that now:
.I don't know, maybe apply self-tanner to the lighter areas? Oops, I'm not writing anything more or I'll start a trend yet.
Safe alternative:
.Use a make-up artist if you want to learn how to contour your face professionally. Watch tutorials from credible experts who teach the effective use of makeup products.
Eyelash dryer
.- What does it involve? Shaping eyelashes with a hairdryer.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Curled eyelashes.
- What does it do?
- How can it harm? Dryness, redness, irritation of the eyes and the skin around them, damage to the cornea. .
A friend of mine used to curl her eyelashes with a warm spoon. But it's a relic. TikToker @mirandaalynnn has shared her way of shaping lashes. The hack involves blasting damp lashes from underneath with hairdryer air to curl and shape them.
The trend has developed even further, with some users recommending the sandwich method: drying lashes, applying primer, drying, applying mascara and final drying.
Oculists on TikTok comment and warn of the dangerous trick. Unfortunately, some users are unable to read this because they are acutely treating corneal damage.
Safe alternative:
If you want to accentuate your lashes, buy an eyelash curler (there are even electric ones) or a good mascara that can lengthen and curl them. You can also get lamination, botox or eyelash lift treatments at a professional salon.
Superglue teeth
.- What does it involve? Using superglue to shape teeth.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Rightening of teeth, clearer canines, vampire look. .
- How can it harm? Damage to enamel, cavities, poisoning, stomatitis, ulcers. .
Small children are told not to put toys in their mouths. And some adults have to be told not to put superglue in their mouths.
TikTok.
TikTok trend helps save on expensive dental treatments - users praise, brushing their teeth with superglue or nail glue.
Glues are toxic and can cause poisoning. In addition, the enamel can be damaged, making the tooth vulnerable to cavities..
.
Ilona Krzak Master of Pharmacy
A variation of this trend - vampire fangs is popular for Halloween. One night of fun can result in...a nightmare forever.
"The glue can also damage the cheeks or gums and ulcers can occur". - doctors warn.
Safe alternative:
Aesthetic medicine can help you give your teeth the shape of your dreams. Or go to a shop for funny gadgets.
Home teeth whitening
.- What does it involve? Teeth whitening with lemon or hydrogen peroxide.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Whitening of teeth, elimination of stains.
- What does it promise?
- How can it harm? Destruction of enamel. .
Brushing lemon juice into your teeth sounds like a cheap, quick and easily accessible way to whiten your teeth. Unfortunately, we're getting into basic chemistry here. Lemon juice has a low pH.
Lemon juice is acidic and can cause erosion of the protective enamel layer when rubbed directly onto teeth..
.
Ilona Krzak Master of Pharmacy
Lemon juice not effective enough? TikTokers recommend rubbing in 3% hydrogen peroxide. You can find this compound, for example, in hydrogen peroxide. This compound is used in teeth whitening products, but they are formulated in such a way that they do not damage the teeth or gums.
Long-term exposure of enamel and gums to 3% hydrogen peroxide is dangerous and can irritate the mouthand.
Changing eye colour
.- What does it involve? Holding a bag of the concoction in front of your eyes.
- What does it involve?
- What does it promise? Changing the colour of the eyes.
- What does it promise?
- How can it harm? Careless preparation of the concoction can endanger the skin and eyes. And mum might be angry that you're consuming her jelly. .
We're in the 21st century and we're flying into space, and the TikTokers are promoting changing your eye colour with a quirky mix. Want a new look for the party? Greg Lammers recommends - in a plastic bag you need to mix:
- gal jelly (unfortunately we don't know what flavour), .
- hand disinfectant, .
- bleach, .
- shaving cream, .
Such a concoction you mix thoroughly and hold the bag against your eyes for at least a minute. There's no need to quibble - no, you can't change the colour of your eyes this way. And careless preparation of the mixture can lead to skin and eye damage, as well as loss of vision if the bag breaks.
Safe alternative:
Purchase tinted contact lenses.
BONUS: A really stupid trend
.Finally, a trend at which I had a good laugh while writing the article. Some people have really been doing it. And they are outraged that #itdoesn't work!
Hair styling with a hairdryer from a public toilet
.- What is it? Drying hair under the Dyson Airblade blow dryer in public toilets.
- What is it?
- What does it promise? Effective curls. .
- How can it harm? It's unhygienic. .
Run to a public toilet as soon as possible to get curls - wrote TikToker @kiingliima. She collected more than 200,000 likes for it. And many people ran.
.The instructions are simple. Find a public toilet with Dyson Airblade hand dryers (it has to be this model). Dip your hair into the dryer to activate the hot air and watch the magic happens.
For me, it's not magic but physics, as bacteria from the hairdryer flies onto my face and hair. When the creative TikToker video saw the light of day, many people wanted bouncy curls too. Only they didn't think bonus -instead of bobby pins or flowers for their new curls, their hair was adorned with staphylococcus aureus, enterococci and multidrug-resistant bacteriaand.
Subsequent to the viral video, there was a comment from a doctor who wrote that "Hand dryers in public toilets are extremely disgusting and can spread more bacteria compared to regular towels".
Videos of people washing their hair and quickly running or driving to public toilets - priceless. And the comments?
It doesn't work on me.
I must have come across a broken Airblade :(
.It doesn't work and yet the restaurant manager called the police!
Safe alternative:
.Papillots, springs and curling tongs are a classic. And if you don't have one - check out making curls with socks. Seriously. It sounds silly, but it works. And it doesn't contain staph (if it's your socks)!
PS Just wash your socks.
See also:
.Summary
.- TikTok is a mine of ideas, tricks and inspiration, but you need to be able to find the safe and effective ones.
- If you are interested in a trend, read what the experts think. Sometimes innocent, natural-sounding ideas (such as lemon juice for teeth) seem safe, yet they do harm. .
- If a video contains extremely dangerous advice, report it to the site administrators. .
Resources
.See all
.Carstairs, S. D., Koh, C., Qian, L., Qozi, M., Seivard, G., & Cantrell, F. L. (2017). Sticky situations: Cyanoacrylate exposures reported to a poison control system. Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 55(9), 1001-1003. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2017.1327067
Davis, L. E., Shalin, S. C., & Tackett, A. J. (2019). Current state of melanoma diagnosis and treatment. Cancer Biology & Therapy, 20(11), 1366-1379.
Li, Y., & Greenwall, L. (2013). Safety issues of tooth whitening using peroxide-based materials. British Dental Journal, 215(1), 29-34. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.629
https://doi.org/10.1080/15384047.2019.1640032
Litchman, G., Nair, P. A., Badri, T., & Kelly, S. E. (2023). Microneedling. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459344/
.Lergenmuller, S., Rueegg, C. S., Perrier, F., Robsahm, T. E., Green, A. C., Lund, E., Ghiasvand, R., & Veierød, M. B. (2022). Lifetime Sunburn Trajectories and Associated Risks of Cutaneous Melanoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Among a Cohort of Norwegian Women. JAMA Dermatology, 158(12), 1367-1377. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.4053
Ramaut, L., Hoeksema, H., Pirayesh, A., Stillaert, F., & Monstrey, S. (2018). Microneedling: where do we stand now? A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery: JPRAS, 71(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2017.06.006
Serpone, N. (2021). Sunscreens and their usefulness: Have we made any progress in the last two decades? Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences: Official Journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology, 20(2), 189-244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43630-021-00013-1
Shah, H. C., Tatke, P., & Singh, K. K. (2008). Spermicidal agents. Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics, 2(4), 200-210.
Singh, A., & Yadav, S. (2016). Microneedling: Advances and widening horizons. Indian Dermatology Online Journal, 7(4), 244-254. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5178.185468
Editorials
Meet the teamNatu.Care Editor
Nina Wawryszuk specialises in sports supplementation, strength training and psychosomatics. On a daily basis, in addition to writing articles for Natu.Care, as a personal trainer she helps athletes improve their performance through training, diet and supplementation.
Cosmetologist
Cosmetologist and linergist with extensive experience working with clients with a wide range of skin health needs and concerns.
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Bart Turczynski is the editor-in-chief of Natu.Care. He is responsible for the quality of the content created on Natu.Care, among others, and ensures that all articles are based on sound scientific research and consulted with industry specialists.
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Emilia Moskal specialises in medical and psychological texts, including content for medical entities. She is a fan of simple language and reader-friendly communication. At Natu.Care, she writes educational articles.
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